Better fate than wisdom
by frozeyourheart
Summary: Oh, how ironic seemed everything now. It had been ages ago, that day she had scolded Isabelle for dating that creep. "Age is just a number." The dark-haired girl had said. Her witty retort had simply been "And jail is just a hotel." The shame. She, Clarissa Morgenstern, had turned into a hypocrite. A huge one.
1. PROLOGUE

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Mortal Instruments or any of its characters.

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**"Kisses are a better fate than wisdom."**

e. e. cummings

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"You know, Izzy, now that I think about it, I'm not so sure..."

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Clarissa."

"You sound like my father."

"I know, that's what I was trying to do. _Duh_."

Clary scrunched up her nose while she anxiously stared at her friend, the handful of freckles on its bridge standing out against her pale skin. With her thin arms crossed in front of her, her red hair like a flame in contrast with the snow outside, she looked even younger than she already was. And even more _worried_. Why had this all seemed like a great idea an hour ago? "What if he..."

"I don't want to hear it. I've done way worse stuff to my brother, and here you have me. In one piece." Isabelle gestured proudly at herself, not a bit of fear showing in her pretty face. "We've been planning this since we woke up! It's fairly simple, Clary. We approach him and throw the water on him. What is it to be afraid of?"

The smaller girl hesitated, her voice trying to be reasonable as she spoke once again. "It is easy, but he's too _volatile_, not at all like Alec. Why can't we just do the same to him, or to Jonathan?" She had played a thousand pranks on her brother, yet had never been as scared as she was now. Something about _him_ unsettled her to no end.

Isabelle was about to answer when both girls were startled by a noise. Their eyes widened for a fraction of second, before realising it was just a snore, coming from the person they intended to make their next victim. Both of them smiled, the relief of not being discovered transforming into low laughter. As Clary giggled along with her friend, her nervousness disappeared little by litte, and a tiny feeling of braveness of wanting to be more like her best friend making its way into her.

"Okay, fine. Let's do this." _Before I back down_, she forgot to add. Some things were better left unsaid.

She just received an excited smile in return, before she was dragged towards the living-room.

* * *

The cold wasn't normal, Jace thought as he squirmed under the light blanket that covered him and was supposed to protect him from the weather. Usually, his house was warm and comfy during these freezing days, but he guessed his parents had not foreseen the snow storm would reach New York as soon as it did. Damn right he was cold, yet he was also way too lazy to get up and get another blanket. Or turn on a heater.

He also wasn't in the mood to run into one of those little pests invading his house. Like every other year, Stephen and Céline Herondale had invited _both_ the Morgensterns and the Lightwoods to spend three weeks at their -his- house, seeing as how the aformentioned lived in Los Angeles, California. The group of adults had all been raised in said city, went to high school together, and then paired up, like some sort of happy love story. _Gross_, he thought. Even Jace himself had been born there, but when Stephen was offered a job in New York he could not deny, it was time for goodbyes. Temporary ones, at least.

It's not that it bothered him, having everyone over. His house was big enough to fit everyone in it, and he got to spend time with Alec and Jonathan, his best friends. Their little sisters, however...that was another case entirely. Monsters might've been a better word for Isabelle Lightwood and Clarissa Morgenstern. He knew the latter was a bit more tamed, but really, they were incredibly _childish_ for a pair of ten-years-old.

Sleep was slowly reaching him, his eyelids closing even with the coldness that surrounded him. _I could take a small nap until Alec and Jon come back_. Jace was in the brink of happily slipping into unconsciousness, a light snoring coming out of his mouth, when he heard someone walking into the living-room. It sounded as if that someone were _trying_ to be quiet but miserably failing, and he rolled his golden eyes before closing them again.

A laugh echoed in the room, quickly followed by someone silencing whoever had let it out in the first place. "You'll wake him up!" _Clary_.

"No I won't, dummy." That was obviously Isabelle, who always thought she was right, no matter the situation. "The three of them sleep like the dead, stop worrying so much."

Oh. how wrong she was. Jace could see them, approaching him with a bucket of what he imagined was icy water._ Little shits_, he mused, a smirk almost twisting his lips.

"On three, Clary. One..."

"Two..." The red-head echoed.

"_THREE_." Jace shouted, evoking a scream from the girls. Isabelle was the quickest, dropping the bucket she and Clarissa were holding and sprinting out of the room. Her friend tried to copy her, but the Herondale boy caught her by her dress.

"Let...me...go..._Jace_!" She was struggling against his grip, her emerald eyes wide like those of a deer. Clary looked pale, as if she had seen a ghost, and the boy couldn't help but laugh at her. "I swear, it wasn't me who planned all this! I knew it would go wrong, you're just too smart!" Flattery. This girl was not stupid, he'd give her that. "Please let me go and I swear I'll behave!"

"You almost convinced me, Morgenstern. But this is not the first prank you and your friend have played on us, so I think you need to be taught a lesson, don't you agree?"He mercilessly picked up the bucket and, ignoring the desperate looks the girl was giving him, threw its contents on Clary, before skipping towards his own room, almost whistling. He would never forget the priceless look on her face as she stood there, dripping wet with her hair stuck to her face.

* * *

"No, _Daddy_, listen to me! I slipped while Isabelle and I were playing and accidentally threw the bucket on my head. That's why I look like these -please don't be mad at me."

Valentine threw her daughter a stern look. He was a loving man, yet strict towards his children. With a sigh, he run a hand through his fair hair. "_You_ listen to _me_, Clarissa. We're leaving in three days and I don't want you to get into trouble until that. Your poor mother almost had a heart attack, seeing you like this." Maybe he was overreacting, but he intended to make a fine young woman out of his daughter, and if this was the way, so be it. He heard a snicker behind him and turned around, seeing his son and his friends. "And what are _you_ laughing about, may I ask?" The laughter stopped, three pairs of legs returning upstairs. It said a lot about Jonathan, the fact that Clarissa was the well behaved child. Another sigh. "Just promise me you'll be good, dear."

"I promise, Daddy. I'm sorry." The red-head quickly hugged Valentine and started towards the kitchen, looking for Isabelle and, most importantly, for something to eat.

She wished she had just gone upstairs, however, when she found Jace there, pouring himself a glass of water like he owned the place. Clary's face turned almost as red as her hair, both from shame and fury. She felt like slapping his dumb, pretty face. _Calm down, Clarissa_. She told herself, weirdly sounding like her father. _Breathe and let nothing show._

"Hey kid! I see you've changed clothes. That's good, though, or you would've freezed." Jace smirked at her, sipping his water now and then with an air of superiority that made Clary's blood boil. He might have been seven years older, but that did not make him wiser, or more intelligent. In her eyes, it made him even dumber.

Breathing deeply and calming down now forgotten, the girl rolled her eyes at him and stuck out her tongue. "You're so _stupid_, Jace. I'm actually happy I'm leaving soon, or else I don't think I would've stand to be in the same house with you!"

The older boy just shrugged. "You've been here for more than two weeks, and it hasn't been the death of anybody, has it?" He ruffled her already knotted hair when he walked past her, laughing as he heard her grumble. Those little monsters were terrible now, he didn't want to imagine what they would be when they were older.

* * *

Two hours from now and she'd be going home, _finally_. Clary didn't exactly hate New York, but she longed for Los Angeles. She missed her friends, her house, her everything. Isabelle and her were sitting outside, discussing their vacations and what they would do once they got home, when the ink haired girl sighed, looking down.

"Sorry for bailing out like I did the other day. I should've been braver and faced Jace with you." Before Clary could say that it wasn't her fault, that she should've been faster when it came to running, she was interrupted. "Do you know what that dumb idiot said to my dad?"

"No, what did h-"

"He said he was _sorry_ for laughing at your little incident!" Isabelle spoke in outrage. "You should've seen his face, all fake sincerity, while he told him how you had indeed fallen and made the bucket's water fall on you. The nerve of that boy! I felt like throwing a plate towards him, but that would only get me punished." She paused, finally staring at her friend. "Was your dad too mean to you?"

Clary shrugged. "Not really. He just scolded me a bit, but I've always been his weakness. Mom overreacted, as always. It's the artist in her, you know." They both laughed at that, mimicking their parents reactions until they fell to the floor from laughing so hard.

"And now we go home. I'm gonna miss this. Kind of."

"Yeah, me too. Not everything, though. I definitely won't miss Jace." Her words were met with silence. Clary saw Izzy was suddenly smiling, the exact same way she had smiled right before she had dragged her towards where Jace had been sleeping.

Panic flooded her. She could not get into more trouble, she had promised. And if there was something Clary did, it was keep her promises. Besides, she would've rather not endure another scolding from her father. "Oh no, oh no. I promised my dad I wouldn't get into trouble!"

"Please. Just this once. Think of it as...revenge." Isabelle ran inside, a plan already taking form in her little head.

* * *

Everything was already packed, goodbyes had been said and two teenage, sulky boys were sitting in their respective cars as the adults chatted for a while. The only things left were, as always, Isabelle and Clary.

"Clarissa! Isabelle! Come down right now! We're leaving, and we will miss the plane if we're not at the airport on time!" Valentine shouted, a tone so authoritative it would make any child tremble. Truth was, the plane wasn't scheduled for another two hours, but one could never be too safe.

Robert Lightwood was about to back him up with his own scolding, but the girls sprinted from upstairs, Jace running closely behind them. A look that was a mix of horror and amusement was in their faces as they reached their parents and hid in the car, relieved to be safe from the boy.

"What happened now? What did they do?" Jocelyn asked him.

Jace scowled, fury burning through his veins as he glared daggers at the two kids. "Oh, nothing!" He said, sarcastically. "They put soap in front of my door, and I almost break my spine when I fell!"

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**A/N: Hello everyone! I'm just trying out my luck here with some fanfiction about our beloved Clary and Jace. I have not written anything about them before, so bear with me while I get used to them! Anyways, the beginning was short, but only because it's the prologue. Chapter will be significantly longer if everything goes as planned, and I've got a lot of ideas for this particular story. Perhaps this introduction doesn't say much, but I bet you lot can already foresee what's going to happen in the future. So, any reviews, ideas you'd like to see, suggestions and questions are welcome! Though I must warn you: if you're not comfortable with age gaps between couples, this is not your story. Clary &amp; Jace are not the same age, he is significantly older as you can see here. So if you are uncomfortable with that idea, please don't bash my story. Don't read it, and that's the end of it. On the other hand, constructive criticism is always well received, as it helps me improve my own writing.**

**Until next chapter,**

**frozeyourheart**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own The Mortal Instruments or any of its characters.

_**Special thanks** **to those who reviewed:**_ ICouldBeYourFantasy - kclare4 - Caitielynn09 - SecretSymphony301.

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As her feet got wet by the sea's salt water, she stared at her chipped nail polish, red curls long and covering part of her face. Rosy cheeks, lowered eyes, the read-headed girl listened _**(**_ or tried not to. _**)**_ to what her best friend had to say.

"C'mon, Clary! I've told you about my feelings already, and you just stare at me, like it was _nothing_!" Simon Lewis, long time friend and partner in crime, said, perhaps a bit angry, perhaps a bit disappointed. "Are you made of_ ice_? You told me you would give me an answer, eventually. Don't you think I've waited for enough time?"

She paused, a long sigh escaping her lungs as she summoned the little courage she knew was inside of her. Honestly, who could blame her? How well would _anyone_ manage their almost brother confession his undying love for them? Clary Morgenstern was at loss for what to do, at loss for how to react.

"Yes, I know I said that." Her eyes scanned his face now, green mixed with confusion and pity. "But I'm not ready just yet. I'm sorry, but it'll have to wait until I come back from New York." _Besides, I have a feeling about this._ Her stare got lost in the sea as she thought the last part, heart racing for some unkown reason when imagining her upcoming trip.

She had been ten, the last time they visited the Herondales. She had been ten, Isabelle had been ten, and their brothers seventeen, and since then not another trip had been made. It had been a tradition, the group of adults reuniting for a few weeks every year, yet as difficulties in life and work increased, so did the will and availability to travel east. Truth be told, the redhead missed her vacations, and finally, seven years later, her parents had decided to honor their old tradition. Everyone was buzzing with energy, ready for the new adventure, especially Jon, who would get to see his old best friend once again. _Jace Herondale_, the bane on Clary's childhood, her enemy, the guy who both she and Isabelle had hated with fiery passion. She remembered his golden eyes, so mercilessly laughing at her as she stood in front of him, dripping from head to toe and...

"Where did you go just now? Are you _even_ listening to me? Look, Clary, I..."

Her train of thought was interrupted by Simon, yet she quickly shook her head and cut him off. "I know what you're going to say, Simon. You don't need to repeat yourself, and I won't break my promise. We'll talk about this when I'm back from New York, and that's it." Her tone was sharp, very much like her father's. For as small as she was, Clary was no weakling.

"But..."

She cut him off, again. "No buts." Another sigh left her lips, and she smiled, feeling bad from treating him so harshly. "So, are we going to swim, or did we come to the beach for nothing?"

Her friend rolled his eyes, and smiled right back. And in that moment, Clarissa knew she had won. _For now_, whispered a voice in the back of her head. _You can't avoid this forever._

Yet she made herself shut up, running towards the water and shouting at Simon. "_Last one is a rotten egg!_"

After an hour of childish games, they made their return, Simon dropping off Clary at her house. "Bye, girl. Have fun, and make sure to tell me everything about it when you come back." It's not what he said, but what was left unsaid, and how he made especial emphasis in '_when you come back_.' Her only response was to peck him on the cheek, waving and muttering a small farewell as she stepped inside her home.

"_Mom!_" She shouted. "Where are you?"

"I'm here!" Jocelyn returned, answer coming from her own room. As the young girl reached it, she leaned against the door frame, an easy-going smile on her lips.

"Hey. Have you finished loading the luggage into the car?"

Her mother tuned around, now curved lips illuminating her otherwise stressed features. "Why, honey?"

Clary shrugged. "Nothing in particular. I just forgot to pack one of my favourite shirts."

"Well, we can always put it any other bag, if that's okay with you?" Jocelyn's tone was uncertain, face full of doubts when staring at her daughter. And with good reason, Clary thought, as things had not been okay between them, not since...

She didn't want to think about that, not _now._

So instead she nodded, trying not to lose her previous smile. "_Sure_. Are we stopping at the Lightwood's first?"

"Yes. Now quickly, get your things and go downstairs. Your father is waiting in the car, along with your brother, and we're gonna be late." With that said, her mom turned around to close her bag, dismissing Clary. And the girl went downstairs, ready to face her vacation.

_Let's hope it all goes smoothly._

* * *

The brown haired woman paced in the living-room of her house, icy blue eyes staring at her watch, then at the door, then at her watch again, only to fall on the blond sitting next to the window, voice slightly nervous as she spoke.

"What a _horrible_ day, isn't it? Almost as if it were winter, who could believe it?" She paused, gaze moving to the watch for the third time. "They're taking too long, don't you think? You know who is coming today, right? I've seen pictures of the Morgensterns and Lightwoods, from when they spent their vacations here. That red haired, tiny girl seemed especially cute, with her curls and..."

The boy interrupted her, annoyed at her rambling. "_Enough_, Amatis! I remember that little devil, I do, along with her friend. I still feel the pain from the last prank they pulled on me, I spent a week dying from such pain." He grimaced, remembering how much his lower back had hurt. "And to think my _face_ could've been hurt as well. If she was like that then, I can't imagine what she must be like now! A monster, probably. Besides, she wasn't pretty, or _likeable_. Always so quiet, she creeped me out. "

Amatis Herondale sighed, yet looked at him with fondness. "Oh, Jace! You're way too prejudiced. She was just a little girl, and you're too old to say stuff like that."

He stood up, taking the last drag of his cigarrette before throwing it through the window. "Fine, Amatis, you're right. Don't go on, because God knows no one can ever shut you up if you do. "The last part came out as a whisper, his lips curling upwards slightly.

"What did you just say, young man? I love you like my own son, and this is how you repay me?" Her words were playful, not mad as it would be expected, as she knew Jace too well to get angry at his antics.

"Nothing!" His usual smirk graced his face, golden eyes lightening up. And he ruffled her hair, walking by her in order to reach his room. "I'll go lay down for a bit, let me know when they get here."

Her reply was unheard _**(**_ or better yet, ignored. _**)**_ by Jace Herondale, now twenty-four years old, a man grown. Tall, with golden hair to complement his impressive eyes, he was, in few words, a ladie's man. Nobody could resist his wit and his charm, girls wanted to be with him, boys couldn't stand him. For the most part, since he could come off as arrongant and cold, yet he was as loyal as he could get to those he loved. He considered calling Sebastian Verlac, his best friend, for moral support against the pests that would be invading his house soon enough, but decided against it. His brother, as he called him, had been there for him in the darkest of times, in the times when his mother was gone and his father too pained to take care of Jace. Yes, Sebastian had faced the world besides him, and he would probably come running if he called him. Maybe later, he thought, closing his eyes when he laid down on his bed.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, Amatis' voice coming from the other side.

"Jace? Sebastian is at the door, should I make him come in?" She hadn't finished speaking, when _another_ voice joined hers from behind the wooden door.

"No worries, Mrs. Herondale! I got this grumpy dude under control." Followed by these words came the slamming sound, as Sebastian entered the room, huge smirk on his face. "Hey man! What's up? Your pretty face doesn't look as pretty, I'll be honest. Who pissed in your juice?"

Jace glared at his friend, arms moving to rest under his head. "Oh, _shut up_. I just need some calm and quiet right now, dunno if _you_ know what that words means. Not my fault if you're not pretty and don't need a beauty sleep."

His friend was not offended, not at all. "C'mon, pretty boy. Or perhaps I should start calling you girl?" That earned him a pillow thrown towards his face, which he caught, laughing. "Okay, okay. Enough jokes. Why does it feel like you're on your period?"

A dramatic sigh left Jace's lips. "Do you remember the Morgensterns and Lightwoods? The families that used to vacation here when..._before_?" His friend nodded, pretending not to notice his pause. "Well, they're coming here, again. They were a fucking nightmare, Sebastian, I swear they drove me crazy. Their little devils, I mean. Alec and Jon are cool, you'll like them."

"Who are the '_little devils_'?"

"The younger girls. Clarissa and Isabelle." Jace said, dryly, to what Sebastian wiggled his brows.

"_Clarissa and Isabelle_? Sound like hotties. How old are they?" Another pillow was sent his way, this time hitting its target. "_Hey_! I'm just asking."

"They are not hotties. They must be kind of stupid, to be honest, especially Clarissa, and also ugly. I never liked them, they used to gang up on me and make my life impossible. And they must be seventeen now, I think." He shrugged. "Nothing worthy of our time, we'll just hang out with the boys."

Sebastian thought for a second. "Well, who knows? They could've grown up and turned into_ bombshells_! I wouldn't mind, that's for sure. And maybe you'll even fall in love, golden boy. "He teased.

With a sound full of disgust, the Herondale boy rolled his eyes. "Ugh, shut up! I don't want to think about women, not after _Aline_." Her name came out like it was a dirty word. "I'll stick to my old ways, they seemed to work better for me. I swear, I'll never be interested in another girl." For as much as he disliked his ex-girlfriend, her image was pretty much tattooed on his mind. "_Never_."

As Sebastian opened his mouth to answer, they heard Amatis shout from the living-room. "Boys! They're here!"

"And to hell we go, brother." Jace said, reclutantly standing up. "To hell we go."

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**A/N: Hello! Long time no see! I've decided to give this story a chance again, seeing as I have so much planned for it! This chapter was a filler, to be honest, for I needed to get things moving. But don't fret! Jace and Clary will meet next chapter, which will be updated soon, as I've almost finished writing it. I reckon it will be a longer one, too, so see you then! Reviews are very much appreciated!**


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